Johnson City will request a third-party investigation into the allegations made against the city and its police department by a former federal prosecutor in a federal lawsuit filed last month, City Manager Cathy Ball said in a statement Wednesday.
“It is understandable that some in our community may be alarmed by recent allegations against the Johnson City Police Department,” Ball said. “Serious allegations have been made, and we ask that everyone reserve judgment until all the facts can be presented.”
Ball said an internal investigation has thus far “not determined any of the allegations to be founded, but, as is standard practice for investigations related to law enforcement, we will be requesting a third-party review by an external agency to determine if any actions by the Johnson City Police Department were inconsistent with acceptable practice in law enforcement.”
Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kateri Dahl is suing the city of Johnson City and the Police Department in federal court, alleging her rights were violated when her contract was not renewed after she pressed for an investigation into a local business owner accused of raping multiple women.
Dahl has also filed whistleblower disclosures with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General and the Criminal Division of the Public Integrity Section, urging them to investigate the JCPD and her termination.
The suit accuses Johnson City Police Chief Karl Turner of manufacturing false complaints about her job performance as a pretext to fire her because she continued to push for a deeper investigation into the business owner. In the lawsuit, Dahl said Turner may have been protecting the man from prosecution because of a corrupt connection with the police department or to cover up the department’s incompetence in investigating him.
It also accuses the department of botching the man’s arrest on a federal warrant for an illegal ammunition charge.
The man’s real name is redacted in the lawsuit and he is identified as “Robert Voe.” The Johnson City Press isn’t using his real name at this time but has filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking more information.
“Questions have arisen about the Department’s handling of sexual assault cases and particularly those related to ‘Robert Voe.,'” Ball said. “Please know: the Johnson City Police Department and the City of Johnson City take violent crimes and sexual assault very seriously. It is important to note that victims of sexual assault face a tremendously difficult choice in pursuing charges against an attacker.”
Ball said the JCPD and the U.S. Marshals Service continue to search for “Voe” and urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the department at www.johnsoncitytn.org/police.
“We have confidence in our Police Department and want our citizens to as well,” Ball said. “We promise to be transparent and accountable. The JCPD has met 450+ professional standards since 1993 to maintain national accreditation.
“The integrity of our officers is of utmost importance, and we would never tolerate corruption in our organization.”
You can read the statement in full below:
It is understandable that some in our community may be alarmed by recent allegations against the Johnson City Police Department. Serious allegations have been made, and we ask that everyone reserve judgment until all the facts can be presented. Our internal investigation thus far has not determined any of the allegations to be founded but, as is standard practice for investigations related to law enforcement, we will be requesting a third-party review by an external agency to determine if any actions by the Johnson City Police Department were inconsistent with acceptable practice in law enforcement.
Questions have arisen about the Department’s handling of sexual assault cases and particularly those related to “Robert Voe.” Please know: the Johnson City Police Department and the City of Johnson City take violent crimes and sexual assault very seriously. It is important to note that victims of sexual assault face a tremendously difficult choice in pursuing charges against an attacker. The Police Department operates a Family Justice Center that assists victims of domestic and sexual violence in a confidential and sensitive manner. We encourage anyone who has suffered the physical and emotional trauma of such assault to please contact the FJC at 423-722-3720.
The Johnson City Police Department, along with the U.S. Marshals Service, continues to search for the person believed to be Mr. Voe and asks that anyone with information about his whereabouts please contact the department, anonymously if preferred, using any of the methods that can be found on our website at www.JohnsonCityTN.org/Police.
We have confidence in our Police Department and want our citizens to as well. We promise to be transparent and accountable. The JCPD has met 450+ professional standards since 1993 to maintain national accreditation. The integrity of our officers is of utmost importance, and we would never tolerate corruption in our organization.